DAYTON — Community members pleaded with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) not to let AES Ohio increase their power bills on Thursday.
But the power company said it needs the extra money to improve infrastructure.
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News Center 7’s Amber Jenkins was in downtown Dayton Thursday night, listening to people share their concerns.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio held a public hearing Thursday night.
It’s part of the process to determine if they will approve the rate hike.
“I sometimes set the thermostat to 63 degrees in winter and 83 degrees in summer, attempting to save money,” Karl Biermann, of Centerville, said.
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That was one of dozens of stories the commission heard.
“Our non-profit was paying $28.92. And as of January this year, that’s now $269.92. And 2026 to 2027, that is going to be now $329.17,” Margaret Kruckmeyer, of Dayton, said.
AES Ohio is asking for an approximate $143 million increase over three years.
For a typical residential consumer, the proposal would increase monthly bills by about $6.50 next year, about an additional $5 the following year, and about another $2 in 2029.
Not everyone disagreed with AES Ohio’s request.
“We support approval of AES Ohio’s three-year rate plan. Affordability matters deeply to the people we serve, and reliability matters to the non-profit and business partners supporting them,” Cindy Garner, Executive Director at Clothes That Work, said.
It was not just the rate increase that people had on their minds.
“Furthermore, this is the biggest potential acquisition of a public utility. Thirty-three billion dollars Black Rock wants to spend to purchase AES,” Kevin Ballou, with the Punchup Dayton Chapter, said.
PUCO will hold its third and final public hearing in early August. Customers can also submit their comments online.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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